Ventilation device for building



May 30, 1967 D. M. LIPPI 3,322,054

VENTILATION DEVICE FOR BUILDING Filed Aug. 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i5 0 Dom/hi0 M. Lippi I INVENTOR,

? 5 BY @gmm... mum paw m May 30, 1967 D. M. LIPPI 3,322,054

I VENTILATION DEVICE FOR BUILDING Filed Aug. 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 v 7 f2 /28 I50 82 Dominic M. L 50p! 1 N VE N TOR.

' 0 BY um Waxy 153% United States Patent 3,322,054 VENTILATION'DEVICE FOR BUILDING Dominic M. Lippi, Luverne, Minn., assignor to A. R.

Wood Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Aug. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 480,323 15 Claims. (Cl. 98-33) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ventilation system including an upstanding tubular conduit having electrically operated blower means therein for pumping air upwardly therethrough and including normally closed convection air passage means with control means therefor operable to open the convection air passage means in response to the sources of electrical power for said blower means being inactive.

This invention relates to a novel and useful ventilating device and more specifically to a ventilating device to be utilized for ventilating buildings provided for housing various farm stock, such as poultry or hogs.

Most buildings utilized to house stock are presently very tightly constructed and provided with fan means for pumping air through the buildings at a predetermined rate in order to prevent the temperature within the building from reaching extremes in both the warm summer and cold winter months. Such buildings for housing stock are for the most part insulated whereby the body heat of the stock within the building during the cold winter months may be conserved to a great degree and the sun will not be able to excessively heat the interior of the :building during the hot summer months.

It is well known that the rate at which a farmer can realize profit from his stock can be greatly increased if maximum and minimum temperatures are not exceeded during the hot and cold seasons. Further, housed stock such as poultry and hogs will produce more eggs and gain weight much faster if an ample supply of circulating ventilating air is provided. Accordingly, it is very impor tant for a farmer to be assured that his housed stock will receive ample ventialtion in a tightly closed building provided with power operated air pump means for forcing circulating air through the building in the event there is a power failure. It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a ventilation device of somewhat conventional design and adapted to pump air through a building for housing stock and also including means adapting the ventilation device to automatically support the flow of ventilation air through the associated building by convection in the event there is a power failure.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a ventilating device with a positive means for automatically changing the ventilating device from a power operated ventilating device to a ventilating device which will support the flow of ventilating air by convection in direct response to a power failure.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a ventilating device in accordance with the preceding objects and constructed in a manner such that it may be readily substituted for conventional power actuated ventilating devices on existing stock enclosing buildings.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a ventilating device whose operation is greatly simplified and which may therefore be readily understood by substantially all farm workmen in order that preventive maintenance may be readily performed thereon.

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A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated beer in is to provide a ventilating device in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and automatic in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken upon a plane passing through a stock enclosing building structure provided with the ventilation device or system of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the center portion of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 and with parts thereof being broken away and shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional View taken substantially upon the plane passing through the ventilating device forwardly of the control means therefor and with parts of the latter being broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the latch means of the ventilating device, parts of the ventilating device being broken away and shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatical view of the wiring circuit of the blower motor; and

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatical view of the wiring circuit of teh ventilating device.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 16 generally designates a stock enclosing building structure including upstanding opposite side walls 12 and 14 and a roof assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 16.

The ventilating device of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 18 and is of the roof exhaust ventilating type. The building structure has a plurality of inlet openings 20 formed in the side walls 12 and 14 thereof adjacent the ceiling 22 and an intake hood 24 is operatively associated with each inlet opening and is downwardly directed in its inlet end. In addition, the side walls 12 and 14 are each provided with a longituinally extending header or duct 26 into which the corresponding inlet openings open. Each of the ducts 26 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 23 which open through the inner wall 30 thereof and a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 32 which open downwardly through the bottom wall 34 of the corresponding duct.

In addition, the ventilating device includes an upstanding duct 36 extending between the ridge of the peaked roof assembly 16 and the ceiling 22. The lower end of the duct 36 opens downwardly through the ceiling 22 and has a generally rectangular inlet housing 38 secured to its lower end which projects below the ceiling 22.

As can best be seen from FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the side walls of the upper end of the duct 36 include mounting flanges 40 which underlie the peaked roof assembly 16 and the lower ends of the side walls of the duct 36 include laterally directed flanges 42 which overlie corresponding mounting flanges 44 of an air pump as sembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 46, the flanges 44 overlying corresponding upper flange portions 48 carried by the upper ends of the side walls of the intake housing 38 which in turn overlie the adjacent portions of the ceiling 22.

A cupola generally referred to by the reference numeral 50 defines an upstanding air passage closed at its upper end by means of an upper wall 52 and includes lower and laterally directed flanges 54 which overlie the corresponding portions of the peaked roof assembly 16 and are secured thereto by means of suitable fasteners 56 secured through the flanges 54 and 40.

The intake housing 38 includes two pairs of upstanding opposite side walls 60, 62, 64 and 66. Each of the side walls 60, 62, 64 and 66 includes an air inlet opening 68 with which a closure member 70 pivotable about a horizontal axis is operatively associated, Each of the closure members is weighted as at 72 to be gravity urged toward the closed position but is mounted for rotation about an axis positioned such that a reduction of air pressure within the intake housing 38 relative to the air pressure of the ambient atmosphere within the building structure will cause the closure member 70 to pivot toward the open positions.

The cupola 50 includes air outlet openings 76 at its upper end which may be shielded from the elements as at 78 and which may also be screened as desired. Upon operation of the air pump means 46, including fan blade 80 driven by motor 82, a reduction of pressure within the intake housing 38 will occur resulting in the closure members 70 swinging toward the open positions. Then, a movement of 'air through the opening 68 will tend to further pivot the closure member 70 toward their full open positions and there of course will result a flow of air upwardly through the duct 36 and out of the outlet openings 76. Of course, as the air pressure within the building structure 10 is reduced due to operation of the air pump assembly '4 120. One side Wall 122 of the housing 120 is suitably apertured as at 124 and has a support bracket 126 including a pair of generally parallel flanges 128 and 130 secured thereto by means of fasteners 132. The flanges 128 and 130 are provided with aligned apertures which are also aligned with the aperture 124 and the interior of the housing includes a bimetallic strip 134 whose opposite ends are removably supported from the housing 120 by means of suitable fasteners 136 and 138. A low voltage heating element 140 is secured to and extends along the bimetallic strip 134 and is serially disposed in a first circuit 142 grounded as at 144. A second circuit 148, as well as the first circuit 142, is electrically connected to a suitable source of electrical potential as at 150 and the motor 82 of the air pump assembly 46 is serially disposed in the second circuit 148, the latter being grounded as at 152 and having a thermostatic switch- 153 serially disposed therein.

The eye 118 is receivable between the apertured flanges 128 and 130 and a latching pin 154 is supported from the bimetallic strip 134 in any convenient manner and normally projects outwardly through the aperture 124 and the apertures formed in the kanges 128 and 138 and through the eye 118 to retain the crank or lever arm 96 in a generally horizontally disposed position with the throw 94 engaged between the latching flange 102 and the marginal edge portion 98 of the door 84. In this manner, whenever current is flowing through the second circuit 148 the electric heating element 140 is actuated thus causing the bimetallic strip 134 to bend toward the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings retaining the crank or lever arm in the horizontally disposed posi- 46, air from the exterior of the building structure 10 will enter the inlet openings 20, the ducts 26 and then pass outwardly through the openings 28 and 32 into the interior of the 'building prior to being drawn into the intake housing 38.

The bottom of the intake housing 38 is open and closed by a pair of swingable door members 84 and 8 6 pivotally supported from the side walls 64 and 66, respectively, by means of hinge assemblies 88 and 90.

As can best be seen from FIGURE 6 of the drawings, a

a latching shaft 92 is pivotally supported and extends between the side walls 60 and 62 and includes a laterally offset flow 94 disposed intermediate the walls 60 and 62 and an exteriorcrank arm 96 disposed outwardly of the side wall '62.

The doors 84 and 86 include overlapping free end marginal edge portions 98 and 100, respectively, and the door 84 includes a latching flange 102 which is generally horizontally disposed when the doors are in the closed positions with the marginal edge portion 98 underlying the marginal edge portion 100. The throw 94 of the latching shaft 92 is receivable between the latching flange 102 and the marginal edge 98 as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings and it will be noted that the crank or lever arm 96 generally parallels the crank arms 104 and 106 which support the crank throw 94. Accordingly, when the latching V shaft 92 is in the latching position as illustrated in FIG- URES 4 and 5 of the drawings, the free end of the crank or leverarm 96, including an eye 110 or hook, is disposed closely adjacent the side wall 64 on which there is mounted an electrical circuit actuated release mechanism generally referred to by the reference numeral 112. One end of a link 114 is provided with an eye 116 engaged with the eye 110 and the other end of the link 114 is provided with a similar eye 118.

The release mechanism 112 includes a hollow housing supported from the side wall 62 in any convenient manner and generally designated by the reference numeral URE 5 of the'drawings thereby withdrawing the pin 154 V 1 through the apertured flanges 128 and 130 and releasing the link 114 in order that the latching shaft 92 will be rotated to a position with the crank arm or lever 96 projecting downwardly thus allowing the doors 84 and 86 to swing to the open positions illustratedrin FIGURE 2 of the drawings in solid lines and in FIGURE 1 of the drawings in phantom lines. Of course, termination of the operation of the pump assembled 46 will cause the closure members 70 t0 pivot to their closed positions by means of the weight 72. However, inasmuch as the doors are automatically released to swing by gravity to the open positions upon the source of electrical potential being rendered inoperative causing cooling of the bimetallic strip 134, the bottom end of the ventilating device is opened wherein the warm air within the building structure 10 will have a tendency to rise and thus create the flow of air through the inlet openings 20, the interior of the building structure 10 and upwardly through the duct 36 by convection. Thus, the ventilating device 18 of the instant invention is capable of automatically rendering itself again operative, at somewhat reduced efiiciency, should the source 150 fail and cause the termination of the operation of the air pump-assembly 46 and cooling probably be less current drain required to maintain the doors 84 and 86 in the closed positions illustrated in FIGURES l and 4 of the drawings during operation of the air pump assembly 46.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A ventilation device comprising air passage defining means including an outlet and at least two inlets, motor driven air pump means operatively associated with said outlet for pumping air through said air passage means, said air passage means including a bottom wall having an opening formed therein defining one of said air inlets, vertically swingable closure means freely pivotally 7 supported from said air passage means for closing said one air inlet means and swingable by gravity from the closed position to an open position, latch means supported from said air passage means and operable to releasably retain said closure means in the closed position, said latch means including an actuator portion mounted for free substantially vertical movement and operable when, in an upper position, to retain said latch means in an operative position maintaining said closure means in the closed position and, when in a released and lowered position, to release said latch means and thereby cause said closure means to open, and control means responsive to the active presence of a source of power for the motor of said pump means for retaining said actuator portion in said upper position and to an inactive presence of said source for releasing said actuator portion to enable said actuator portion to fall by gravity to said lower position and said latch means to release said closure means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pump means includes an electrically actuated drive motor and said control means includes means, operative in response to the absence of a source of electric current for said drive motor, to release said actuator portion.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said actuator portion includes means defining a downwardly facing and generally horizontal abutment surface, said control means including a latch portion disposed beneath said abutment surface and horizontally movable from a first position disposed beneath said abutment surface in response to the inactive presence of said source and movable back to said first position in response to the active presence of said source.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means responsive to the inactive presence of said source includes a bimetallic member from which said latch portion is supported and electrical resistance heating means electrically connected to said source and positioned closely adjacent said bimetallic member.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said control means includes a pair of horizontally spaced upstanding flange portions having horizontally aligned apertures formed therein, said abutment surface comprising the upper surface portions of an aperture defined by an upper portion of said actuator portion and disposed between and aligned with said apertures formed through said flange portion, said latch portion including a horizontally elongated pin passed through said apertures when in said first position.

6. In combination with a closed building structure including upstanding opposite side walls and a roof structure and adapted to house farm stock, a plurality of air inlet openings formed inat least one of said opposite side walls, spaced longitudinally thereof and disposed in an upper portion of said one wall, an elongated horizontally disposed header assembly extending along the upper portion of the inside of said one wall into which said plurality of inlet openings open, said header assembly including an inner upstanding wall and a lower bottom wall each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced outlet openings formed therein, said structure including upstanding tubular air passage means opening upwardly through said roof structure and including lower open portions disposed above a horizontal plane containing the lowermost portions of said outlet openings, air pump means operatively associated with said air passage means for efiecting the flow of air upwardly therethrough, said air passage means including at least two air inlets directly communicated with the interior of said structure and a bottom wall having an opening formed therein defining one of said air inlets, vertically swingable closure means freely pivotally supported from said air passage means for closing said one air inlet means and swingable by gravity from the closed position to an open position, latch means supported from said air passage means and operable to releasably retain said closure means in the closed position, said latch means including an actuator portion mounted for free substantially vertical movement and operable when, in an upper position, to retain said latch means in an operative position maintaining said closure means in the closed position and, when in a released and lowered position, to release said latch means and thereby allow said closure means to open, and control means responsive to the active presence of a source of power for the motor of said pump means for retaining said actuator portion in said upper position and to an inactive presence of said source for releasing said actuator portion to enable it to fall by gravity to said lower position and said latch means to release said closure means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said pump means includes an electrically actuated drive motor and said control means includes means, operative in response to the absence of a source of electric current for said drive motor, to release said actuator portion.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said actuator portion includes means defining a downwardly facing and generally horizontal abutment surface, said control means including a latch portion disposed beneath said abutment surface and horizontally movable from a first position disposed beneath the latter in response to an active presence of said source and movable back to said first position in response to an inactive presence of said source.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said means responsive to said inactive presence of said source includes a bimetallic member from which said latch portion is supported and electrical resistance heating means electrically connected to said source and positioned closely adjacent said bimetallic member.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said control means includes a pair of horizontally spaced upstanding flange portions having horizontally aligned apertures formed therein, said abutment surface comprising the upper surface portions of an aperture defined by an upper portion of said actuator portion and disposed between and aligned with said apertures formed through said flange portion, said latch portion including a horizontally elongated pin passed through said apertures when in said first position.

11. A ventilation device comprising a tubular upstanding casing, an electric motor driven blower in said casing arranged to discharge air upwardly, said casing including air inlet means opening generally horizontally outwardly of said casing in at least two separate directions below said "blower means, closure means operatively associated with the open lower end of said casing for closing the latter and shiftable relative to said casing by gravity to an open position, latch means operatively associated with said casing and said closure means and operable to retain said closure means in the closed position, electrically operated control means for said latch means, a source of electrical potential, first electrical circuit means electri-- cally connecting said motor to said source and second electrical circuit means electrically connecting said control means to said source, said control means being operable to release said latch means in response to an inactive presence of said source so as to automatically open said closure means should the supply of electrical energy to said source be interrupted.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said latch means includes a keeper, said keeper being supported from a bimetallic member for shifting between active and inactive positions in response to heating and cooling, respectively, of said bimetallic member, said control means including an electrical resistance heating element electrically connected in said second electrical circuit means and in good heat 7 transfer relation with said bimetallic member.

13. The combination of claim 12 including a thermo statically controlled switch serially connected in said first electrical circuit means.

14. The combination of claim 11 including a closed building structure provided with upstanding side walls and a roof structure, a plurality of air inlet openings formed in at least one of said side walls and spaced longitudinally thereof, said tubular upstanding casing projecting through said roof structure with said air inlet means and said lower end of said casing disposed in an upper portion of said building structure below said roof structure.

15. A ventilation device comprising air passage defining means including an outlet and at least two inlets, electric motor driven air pump means operatively associated with said outlet for pumping air through said air passage means, said air passage means including a bottom wall having an opening formed therein defining one'of said air inlets, vertically swingable closure means freely pivot ally supported from said air passage means'for closing said one air inlet means and swinga'ble by gravity' from the closed position to an open position, latch means operable to releasably retain said closure means in the closed position, said latch means including electrically operated control means, 'a source of electrical potential, first electrical circuit means electrically connecting s'aid motor to said source and second electrical circuit means electrically connecting said control means to said source, said control means being responsive to the active presence of said source for maintaining said latch means operative to retain said closure means in the closed position and to an inactive presence of said source for releasing said latch means to enable said closure means to swing by gravity from the closed position to an open position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,767,869 6/1930 Baumgarten 9843 2,439,271 4/1948 Shaver 9843' 2,569,319 9/1951 Krug 98-43 3,000,290 9/1961 'ROdiCk 98-33 r 3,052,176 9/1962 Anderson 98-33 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner. 

11. A VENTILATION DEVICE COMPRISING A TUBULAR UPSTANDING CASING, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN BLOWER IN SAID CASING ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE AIR UPWARDLY, SAID CASING INCLUDING AIR INLET MEANS OPENING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING IN AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE DIRECTIONS BELOW SAID BLOWER MEANS, CLOSURE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPEN LOWER END OF SAID CASING FOR CLOSING THE LATTER AND SHIFTABLE RELATIVE TO SAID CASING BY GRAVITY TO AN OPEN POSITION, LATCH MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CASING AND SAID CLOSURE MEANS AND OPERABLE TO RETAIN SAID CLOSURE MEANS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID LATCH MEANS, A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL, FIRST ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID MOTOR TO SAID SOURCE AND SECOND 